First ever pig-to-human liver transplant keeps patient alive for months
Pig liver transferred to human patient in medical first
- Doctors in China successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a 71-year-old man, marking the first therapeutic use of such an organ in a living human.
- The patient, who was ineligible for a human transplant due to hepatitis B and cancer, lived for 171 days following the procedure.
- The pig liver functioned effectively for the first month but was removed on day 38 due to complications, specifically xenotransplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA).
- Researchers from Anhui Medical University described the case as a “pivotal step forward”, proving a genetically engineered pig liver can function in a human for an extended period.
- The study highlights both the promise of xenotransplantation for liver conditions and the remaining hurdles, particularly concerning coagulation dysregulation and immune complications.